Android – the operating system is extremely versatile, and therefore the problems that its users face often do not have a universal solution. Even such a trivial situation as crashes in installed applications can be solved in several different ways. Fragmentation, which led to the abundance of different OS versions and custom skins, often functioning completely differently from the pure one Android, and the approach of Google itself to filling Google Play with software, which many developers do not adapt even for the most popular devices, not to mention devices from little-known brands.
Apps on Android not working? There can be a hundred reasons for this and about the same number of ways to solve the problem. But we offer only basic
How to delete application cache on Android
Despite the fact that I myself never clear the cache on Android, there are legends that sometimes – on the night of Ivan Kupala – it can overflow and prevent applications from starting. Of course, this is not very similar to the truth, and in my almost ten-year practice of using Android this has never happened. However, Google recommends that you first clear your cache if you suddenly find that an application that was working yesterday suddenly does not start today or is malfunctioning, for example, experiencing spontaneous crashes.
- To do this, go to 'Settings' – 'Applications';
- Find what you need in the list and open its page;
- From there go to the 'Memory' tab and click on 'Clear Cache'.
Personally, this method has never helped me, but Google persistently shoves it into all its instructions, and therefore I did not dare to neglect it. However, if this method did not work for you, and you want to find something more effective, read on.
How to reset app data to Android
If after deleting the cache, the problem persists, and the application both did not start and does not start, return to the same tab and try resetting the data. As for me, this is a more efficient way, however – I warn you right away – it will work only if you have been using the application for some time. With freshly installed software, such a number will most likely not work, since they also have nothing to reset. But since I can't stop you in any case, try it.
- Go to 'Settings' – 'Applications';
- Find the application you need and open its page;
- From there go to the 'Memory' section and click on 'Reset'.
This action will delete all application data, including saved files, databases, settings, accounts and other information, will be deleted, which, in fact, will return it to its original form. In this case, the uninstallation of the program itself will not happen, it just looks as if you installed it for the first time. It seems to me that this method helped only once, and then only with an application that I downloaded from the Internet in the form of an APK file. And for those downloaded from Google Play, there are other methods.
Application does not start. How to fix
- For example uninstalling and reinstalling. Oddly enough, but this method is the most effective of all. Due to Google's constant experimentation with methods of downloading software, which developers divide into several components downloaded in sequence, sometimes the installation may not be performed correctly. Therefore, the easiest way is to uninstall the application from your smartphone, go to Google Play and download it again. This method even works on iOS, to be sure about Android.
- Just in case, I can also suggest trying to download the application as an APK file from APKMirror and APKPure – just open any of these sites, type in the name of the application in the search, download and install it. It will stand up exactly as if you downloaded it from Google Play. I have no idea how it works, but sometimes the same program might not work after downloading from Google Play, and at the same time it worked perfectly if I downloaded it from third-party resources. True, before that you need to allow downloading from unreliable sources, well, remember that this may be unsafe.
- The update can also be safely added to the list of effective methods. I personally ran into this last week when I tested 3D animals from Google on my Honor View 20. At first, the 3D menagerie did not start in any way, and I thought it was due to Google blocking. However, after I installed a fresh Chrome update, everything worked. Therefore, I can safely recommend this method to you. Just go to Google Play – 'My Apps & Games' – 'Updates' and download the latest update for the problematic app.
If none of the methods described above helps you – and it may well be – it is obvious that the problem is on the developer's side. Practice shows that this happens most often, as can be seen by reading the reviews. Therefore, if you desperately need to restore the functionality of the application, go to its page on Google Play, find the developer's contacts and inform him about the problem. I am almost sure that your appeal will not be ignored, since the developer is primarily interested in the fact that his product works properly and brings him money.